Egypt is set to start in 2023 the experimental operation of a new spinning factory, described by the government as the world's largest factory, according to a statement by the Ministry of Public Business Sector.
The factory, owned by the public Masr Spinning and Weaving Company, is dubbed Ghazl 1 Factory and is being constructed over an area of 64,000 square meters.
The factory has around 185,000 spinning mills and a planned daily production capacity of 30 tons of fine-spun yarn and 25 tons of thick spun yarn, a statement by the ministry said after Minister Mahmoud Esmat went on an inspection tour at the site on Sunday.
In July 2020, Egypt's Cotton, Spinning, Weaving and Clothing Holding signed a contract to establish the new factory for a total cost of EGP 780 million (approximately $ 40 million), according to media reports.
The factory was planned to be inaugurated in March 2022, but the repercussions of COVID-19 and spillovers from the war in Ukraine delayed the opening.
The construction works and trial operation are scheduled to be completed in 2023, according to Sunday's statement. Construction work at Ghazl-1 Factory is 80 percent complete, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.
The new factory is part of a broader plan already set into motion by the Egyptian government to upgrade the public sector spinning and weaving industry at a total cost of EGP 25 billion.
The facility is due to start operation in early 2023, the ministry's statement added.
During his tour, the minister said the project is part of a plan to upgrade public spinning and weaving companies, with a view to regaining Egypt's leadership in this industry and maximizing the value of Egyptian cotton, as well as increasing exports and employment opportunities.
The project is not meant at to compete with the private sector, but rather promotes cooperation and integration and provides the raw material needed for operation at a high quality and competitive prices in a way that serves the national industry.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
